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Barclays Cycle Hire
Barclays Cycle Hire (BCH) is a public bicycle sharing scheme that was launched on 30 July 2010 in London, England. The scheme's bicycles are popularly known as Boris bikes, after Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London who introduced them. BCH commenced operations in July 2010 with 5,000 bicycles and 315 docking stations distributed across the City of London and parts of eight London boroughs. The coverage zone spans approximately 17 square miles (44 km2), roughly matching the Zone 1 Travelcard area. Currently there are some 6,000 'Boris Bikes' and 400 docking stations in the BCH scheme, which has been used for more than 4 million journeys to date. Initially, BCH required initial payment of registration and membership fees to be paid in exchange for an electronic access key, but on 3 December 2010 this was changed to allow casual cycle hires by non-members who have a valid credit or debit card. The project is expected to cost £140 million for planning and implementation over six years, and is potentially the only Transport for London (TfL) system to fully fund its annual cost of operation, a goal originally estimated to take two to three years. The scheme is sponsored by Barclays bank, which is contributing £25 million (18% of the scheme's initial cost) over five years to the project's funding. The scheme is contracted to and operated by Serco. The cycles and the docking stations are built in Canada and are based on the Bixicycle rental system that operates in Montreal and other Canadian cities. Credit for developing and enacting the Barclays bicycle share scheme has been a source of controversy. London mayor Boris Johnson claimed credit for the plan, although the initial concept was announced by Johnson's predecessor Ken Livingstone, during the latter's term in office. Johnson has said that he "hoped the bikes would become as common as black cabs and red buses in the capital". Operation Regular users of the scheme can register on the TfL website and sign up for one of three levels of access: daily, weekly or yearly. Users are then sent a key in the post to operate the docking stations which they must activate before they use it for the first time – a key costs £3, and up to four can be registered under a single account. Scheme members insert the membership key into a docking point key slot; an amber light indicates that the account is being verified, then a green light indicates that the cycle can be undocked. From 3 December 2010 the scheme has also been made available to casual users who have not registered with TfL. Those with a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card (with Chip and PIN) can go to their nearest docking station and follow the simple on screen instructions at the terminal to release a bike. Once the user has purchased their access period (for either 24 hours or seven days) the first 30 minutes of any journey will be free of usage charges. Cycles Each cycle is fitted with features designed to provide comfort and safety for the user, including: *Puncture-resistant tyres to increase durability. *Brakes on each wheel hub. *A three-speed hub gear operated by a twist grip on the right handlebar. *A chain guard, avoiding the necessity for trouser clips. *Dynamo-powered flashing front and rear lights which are illuminated when the bicycle is being ridden and remain on for a minimum of two minutes after it has stopped. *A bell on the left handlebar. *A small luggage rack in front of the handlebars with elastic cord to secure possessions. *Adjustable saddle height. *Mudguards. *A stand which can be kicked down into place using the left foot. *A number painted on to the frame by the rear wheel, uniquely identifying each bike. The cycles are not provided with locks (unlike the Vélib' scheme in Paris), nor do they come with helmets. If there is a fault with a cycle, riders are advised to dock it at the nearest station and press the red 'fault' button on the docking point within ten seconds; they can then take out another bike at no extra cost. The cycles have been deliberately "geared down" to compensate for their weight, to make hill climbing easier, and to provide a way of limiting their top speed. With the standard 38 tooth front cog and a larger than standard 23 tooth rear sprocket the setting is 32 gear inches in 1st gear, 44 gear inches in 2nd gear, and 60 gear inches in 3rd gear. This gearing is about 22% lower than would be usual on a three-speed cycle of this sort. Docking stations Docking stations consist of a terminal and docking points where users pick up and return cycles. The terminal at each docking station contains a screen allowing users to: *hire a cycle if the user does not have a key; *print a record of their journey; *find other nearby docking stations – if one is full or empty; *get extra time if they need to return the cycle to another docking station; and *see a local street map, review scheme costs, the code of conduct and translated information. During high load hours the bikes are moved from the busiest stations to the emptiest using electric vehicles with zero CO2 emissions. There are a number of applications for mobile phones to help users find the nearest station. Reception and criticisms BCH debuted with great fanfare, with over 90,000 users registering one million cycle rides being taken in the first ten weeks of operation. The millionth journey rider was awarded four annual memberships of the scheme for five years for free. In the first three months of the scheme, 95 per cent of journeys were under half an hour, earning Transport for London no revenue besides access fees. The scheme generated £323,545 in revenue from journeys in the first 96 days. Only 72,700 of the first 1.4 million journeys earned any revenue, with 44 per cent of income coming from individuals who were charged £150 "late return" fees. At an average of only £3,370 income per day from journeys, administrators have acknowledged that the scheme will have to grow substantially over the next five years in order to meet its estimated revenue projections. In particular, the BCH scheme has been criticised for allowing riders to have unlimited free periods of use by docking the bike every thirty minutes at a station (the first 30 minutes' use are free) resulting in a dependence upon late fees and penalties to make up revenues. Other users have complained of computer issues, erroneous charges, and problems with docking stations. The system also does not enable transport to the suburbs, and TfL has admitted that the BCH scheme is "best for short journeys". Some users have also found the bikes too heavy and unwieldy, at 23 kilograms (51 lb). In June 2011, TfL issued a 'critical improvement plan' to the BCH contractor, Serco, demanding immediate improvements in service, and in a comment to the press a TfL spokesman stated that "the service it (Serco) has provided for our Barclays Cycle Hire users has not reached the consistently high standards we expect," adding "We expect to see immediate improvements." Serco has in turn admitted that "some aspects of the service still need to be improved." 'Repair and replacement' According to Transport for London, in the first six months of operation two-thirds of the fleet of London's Barclays Cycle Hire scheme fleet have had to undergo repairs. Serco, the company contractor for bicycle operations, is repairing more than 30 bikes a day. At any one time around 200 of the 5,400 strong fleet are off the road for maintenance or repair. As of February 2011, three BCH machines had been damaged beyond repair while in service, while ten more were stolen. Six docking stations have been hit and damaged by motor vehicles and six more have been vandalised. Costs Users of the scheme must pay both an access fee and usage charges. Access fee Usage charges Usage charges are designed to promote the constant circulation of bicycles. As a result, whilst the first 30 minutes are free, costs rise sharply thereafter. If a user docks a bike, a period of five minutes must elapse before they can take out another one for free. Other charges